Skip the leftovers with these recipes that serve one or two - The Washington Post

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Skip the leftovers with these recipes that serve one or two - The Washington Post

Skip the leftovers with these recipes that serve one or two - The Washington Post

Posted: 22 Mar 2021 10:00 AM PDT

When you've got a household of just one or two people, ample leftovers might not be the right fit, especially when freezer and fridge space starts to run out.

Enter the below recipes, designed with one to two servings, max, so that you won't feel stuck with massive amounts of something you only sort of like. We've got recipes for breakfast, dinner, snacks and even one for dessert! Many of the recipes here that are designed to yield two servings can be easily scaled down to one, using the scale function in Recipe Finder recipes.

Von Diaz’s Essential Puerto Rican Recipes - The New York Times

Posted: 22 Mar 2021 04:29 PM PDT

They are stories of creativity and tradition, blending colonial ingredients with ancestral cooking techniques. Take pernil, the coveted garlic-and-herb-marinated pork shoulder that is traditionally slow-roasted whole over coals. On the island, there's an entire stretch of highway through densely forested Guavate — La Ruta del Lechón — dedicated to pork made with precision by families committed to the craft.

These dishes celebrate the contributions of the tens of thousands of Africans taken to the island in bondage, who introduced processes like deep frying, among many other things, and who are credited with cultivating rice, the cornerstone of the Puerto Rican diet to this day. Fritters such as alcapurrias de jueyes — a blend of green banana and yautia, stuffed with delicate crab — hark back to Loíza, a town on the northeastern coast with rich African ancestry.

And then there are completely modern dishes that reference what has always grown on the island. In pastelillos de guayaba, guava — the epitome of tropical flavor — is balanced by crumbly, salty queso en hoja, fresh cheese, which is baked into a beignet and delightfully dusted with powdered sugar. Nothing ancestral here; it's just extremely delicious, and makes use of the island's bounty of fruit.

Above all, these dishes exemplify a deeply creative people, who make food that is flavorful and soul-nourishing.

What I want to suggest here is that, instead of holding European foods and cooking techniques as the highest standards, we look to the cuisines of islands, of places that have struggled, to gain inspiration from how they managed to make things taste so good against all odds. This is old, deep knowledge, and we can all learn from it, regardless of background, and find ways to integrate this way of thinking into the way we cook.

And to keep culinary cultures vibrant, we must adapt. For the past 15 years, the Puerto Rican diaspora has outnumbered the population on the island, and many of us have been forced to recreate our favorite dishes using very different ingredients and tools. I might need to use a bell pepper instead of ají dulce, or paprika instead of annatto. But as I say in the introduction to "Coconuts and Collards," my first book, "It's Puerto Rican because I made it." These microadjustments ensure that I can still keep the flavors of my homeland in my mouth.

6 New Passover Recipes From Chefs Who Celebrate - Bon Appetit

Posted: 22 Mar 2021 12:30 PM PDT

When I picture my extended family, we're all seated around a seder table that's covered in matzo crumbs and Manischewitz. My dad strums "Ma Nishtanah" on the guitar while I snack on salt-slicked parsley and lock eyes with my sister, silently asking when the prayers end and the meal begins.

Each spring Jewish families gather to recount the biblical tale of Exodus, when the Israelites escaped bondage in Egypt via locust swarms and parted seas. Passover is a festival of stories and song, ritual and resistance. And because we're Jews, it's symbolized with food. At the center of the table, a decorative platter—the seder plate—displays the foods that have guided the night's ceremony for generations: matzo, roast shankbone, bitter herbs, spring vegetables, and charoset studded with nuts and fruit. And for eight days (or seven, if you're in Israel), we go without the usual bagels and pita, cleansing our homes and diets of leavened foods—and, depending on the family and their heritage, grains, legumes, and seeds as well—to represent the haste of leaving Egypt without enough time for bread to rise.

Matzo may be known as the bread of affliction, but the Passover meal is a feast. As a kid growing up in Los Angeles, seder meant sweet sliced brisket, The Silver Palate's Chicken Marbella, and kebabs from a Moroccan restaurant on Westwood Boulevard. Dessert was tangerines (from the garden) and sticky coconut macaroons (from the deli), while the grown-ups broke out mezcal. But no two seders are the same, and the canon of beloved Passover dishes is as expansive as the Jewish diaspora itself. We asked seven chefs to share the recipes that define their own celebrations, where their tables are perfumed with fenugreek, harissa, and schmaltz. —Aliza Abarbanel

Get the Recipes:

Heirloom recipes are worth keeping, making and passing down - Berkshire Eagle

Posted: 22 Mar 2021 02:00 PM PDT

As friends and relatives look to downsize, the reported trend these days is that millennials don't want the family treasures that have been passed down for generations. That's trouble for us, as we have three different sets of china, three different sets of silver, plus lots of other random items from our parents and grandparents, and someday we will have to figure out what to do with it all.

As much as we may wish our children will someday want these treasures, there are many more that have already been lost; the treasured heirloom recipes which we remember fondly from family dinners and special holiday meals.

So often these recipes were not written down, or were scribbled on random pieces of paper that yellowed, crumbled and were lost. I am fortunate enough to have some of these, and even some that were written on a scrap of paper or the back of an envelope.

Now, to be fair, there are some recipes in my mother's old recipe box that I will never try, like the lime gelatin mold with cabbage. Others make me chuckle, like the one for brisket, where the first instruction says, "Get brisket." But there are so many that my children adore, which I am sure will be passed on to their children and grandchildren.

Here I offer a few favorites from my family. The story behind the first one is that my mother took the basic recipe for the meatloaf she had always enjoyed as a child and decided to form it into a spiral with Swiss cheese. She was inspired to enter a recipe contest sponsored by a Swiss cheese trade group, and won a Swiss watch for her creation! While other families serve green bean casserole at Thanksgiving, for our traditional green vegetable we make these peas from my grandmother, called Nena by us cousins. My Aunt Jane, in the days when women were expected to be housewives, ran a catering business out of her home. I cannot imagine how many batches of these mint brownies she made, offered at every event she catered and beloved by all of us cousins, and now by all our children.

I am happy to share these family treasures, but, more importantly, I hope to inspire you to document family favorites. While you may treasure a favorite platter or a special piece of artwork, family recipes are heirlooms worth preserving for the memories and the history they carry.

Elizabeth Baer family recipes

This spiral meatloaf stuffed with Swiss cheese once won a recipe contest.

MOM'S PRIZE-WINNING MEATLOAF

Serves 8 to 10 (and leftovers are good!)

Note: For an easier version on a busy day, this can be made without the cheese by simply making a free form loaf shape.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pound ground sirloin or meatloaf mix

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I like the kind that includes some Parmesan)

4 1/2 to 5 ounces Swiss cheese, sliced thin (pre-sliced is fine)

1 can Campbell's condensed tomato soup

1 cup water

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot sauce (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine the meat, eggs, mustard and bread crumbs, and gently mix well. Spread the meat mixture into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. (It can be helpful to do this on a piece of foil.) Lay the cheese slices over the meat, leaving about an inch border. Starting on a long side, carefully roll up the meat so that the cheese becomes a spiral inside. Press the ends and the seam closed, and if any cheese is showing, just press the meat to cover. Place the meatloaf in a glass baking dish, seam side down.

Pour tomato soup into a medium bowl. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco (if using) and whisk to combine. Pour over the meatloaf, allowing the sauce to run off into the baking dish. If you really like more sauce, double these amounts.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before slicing. Some of the cheese may ooze out, but it can be ladled over slices of meatloaf and whatever you serve with it, such as rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles.

For leftovers, allow to cool, cover with foil, and keep in the refrigerator. There may be a layer of fat solidified in the morning, which can be taken off and discarded. This recipe reheats well in the microwave, and you can even freeze portions for another time. I also like thin slices after it cools in meatloaf sandwiches.

Elizabeth Baer family recipes

This pea-heavy side dish was always at the family's Thanksgiving table. 

NENA'S PEAS WITH MUSHROOMS AND WATER CHESTNUTS

Serves 4, can be doubled

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or olive oil for a vegan version

8 ounces sliced mushrooms, white or baby bella

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 pound frozen peas

One 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS:

Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring frequently. At first, the mushrooms will absorb the butter and it might seem like you need more, but resist the urge to add more butter. They will eventually give up their moisture, and it will seem like they are too wet. Eventually the liquid will cook away and they will get brown and crispy on the edges.

Add the peas and continue to sauté, stirring frequently until the peas are warmed through, then add the water chestnuts.

Make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and broth. Add the slurry to the pan and cook until the liquid warms through and makes a gravy-like consistency.

Elizabeth Baer family recipes

These fudgy, minty brownies were a hit at family parties and with catering clients alike. 

AUNT JANE'S MINT BROWNIES

Makes one standard square pan

INGREDIENTS:

Brownie Layer:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mint Layer:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon heavy cream or half-and-half

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate Glaze:

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS:

Make the brownie layer. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-by-8 or 9-by-9 brownie pan and line the bottom with parchment, allowing the extra to drape over two sides.

Melt together the stick of butter and 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate in a double-boiler or the microwave. In a separate bowl, cream the sugar and eggs together with an electric hand-held mixer or stand mixer. Add the butter and chocolate mixture and stir to combine fully. Fold in the flour and nuts by hand.

Spread the brownie batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until firm in the center. Allow to cool on a rack.

For the mint layer, cream together the confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, cream, and peppermint extract together with an electric hand-held mixer, in a stand mixer or by hand with the back of a wooden spoon, taking care to mix gently so the confectioners' sugar doesn't puff up all over the counter. Spread evenly over the cooled brownie layer (an offset knife helps here if you have one) and refrigerate.

Remove the brownies from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. For the chocolate glaze, melt together 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter. Pour over mint layer and tilt the pan to make an even layer of chocolate over the top. Refrigerate until cold.

Gently cut through the layer with a thin knife. If necessary, run warm water over the knife then dry to create clean cuts.

40 Easy Instant Pot Dinners That Require Zero (Or Very Little) Upfront Prep - BuzzFeed

Posted: 22 Mar 2021 08:15 AM PDT

Dinner tastes better when it makes itself.

So we've gathered 40 of the absolute easiest Instant Pot recipes we know — from classic chicken dishes, to hearty soups and stews, to family-favorite pastas. They're all made using a pressure cooker, and the majority are drop-and-go meals, meaning the appliance does all the hard work for you!


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